On Monday, Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Matthews was timed out during the 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh in Delhi. The seasoned Sri Lankan batsman became the first batter in history to be dismissed in this manner.
But what precisely occurred? After Sadeera Samarawickram was removed in the 25th over, Matthews stepped out to bat. When the former Sri Lankan captain came out to the center, he discovered that his helmet strap was broken. He didn’t get it to the crease and had to ask for help.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan immediately requested for a time-out dismissal, and the umpires had no choice but to comply with the regulations. Matthews attempted several times to persuade the umpires and Shakib of his cause, but to no effect.
What exactly does the rule state? In ODIs, a hitter must be ready to face the ball within 120 seconds, according to MCC standards.
“An incoming batter ready to face the ball: An incoming batter will now be required to be ready to take strike within two minutes in Tests and ODIs, while the current threshold of 90 seconds in T20Is remains unchanged,” the MCC rule book states.
Former cricketers from all around the world have been outraged by the decision.
Let’s take a look at the top five expert comments to Monday’s Shakib-Mathews time-out debate.
1. Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif, a former Indian batter, has criticized Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan. Angelo Matthews, he continued, was not wasting time on purpose.
“I will say that it was an extremely shameful incident, whatever Shakib did,” Kaif said on Star Sports. “The rules might say anything. He came running in to bat. He didn’t have any intention to waste time or stop the game. He pulled the strap and it broke.”
“If you see the two minutes that are being shown, he had reached the crease 10 seconds before,” he added. “He was standing there after one minute and 50 seconds. Yes, he did not take the guard. You can bat without taking guard, that is allowed. It is up to the batter.”
Mohammad Kaif
Kaif went on to say that the on-field umpires should not have considered Shakib’s plea.
2. Aakash Chopra
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra too weighed in on Matthew’s contentious expulsion. The cricketer-turned-commentator believed the Sri Lanka hitter was not attempting to cheat or gain an unfair advantage.
Chopra stated in a video posted on his YouTube channel:
“Was it ethically and morally correct? I remember, I think it was Afghanistan’s game against Bangladesh, Mujeeb Ur Rahman forgot his abdominal guard, they didn’t make a timed-out appeal then, but they did it for Angelo Mathews. So it seemed slightly different, don’t know why.”
“The more important thing is should it be done?” he continued. “I always believe that if something is right as per law, how can it be ethically incorrect? I always say that when there is talk about the run-out at the non-striker’s end, but no one was trying to cheat or take unfair advantage here.”
Aakash Chopra
3. Shoaib Akhtar
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan’s move on Monday sparked controversy among fans and professionals alike about the spirit of the game.
Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar said the dismissal was against the spirit of the game. He went on to say that Shakib might have prevented it.
“Very much against spirit of cricket. I know it’s in the rule book but since no one has ever appealed before, Shakib could have avoided this too,” Akhtar wrote on social media.
4. Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian hitter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Bangladesh captain Shakib is within his rights to challenge the time-out dismissal.
Manjrekar, who was on the commentary team, stated during the mid-innings break:
“I don’t know where it came from. Shakib was well within his right to appeal, and the umpires had to respect that. And we heard in that conversation that he (Shakib) said, ‘I’m serious’. And, uh, Angelo Mathews has the right to be upset.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Shakib’s antics, according to the cricketer-turned-commentator, may curb time waste in the future.
“The strap broke from the helmet, but that happened well past two minutes deadline,” Manjrekar explained. “Now, you will have long term repercussions of this, and those may not be so bad for the game because I find in this sport, there’s too much milling around, too much of time wasting.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
5. Shikha Pandey
Shikha Pandey, a star Indian pacer, went a step further, arguing that the time-out dismissal should not be left to the discretion of the fielding side.
She believes that umpires should keep track of how long it takes an approaching hitter to reach the crease.
“Why is ‘timed out’ mode of dismissal left to the discreation of the fielding team’s/captain’s appeal?” Shikha wrote on social media. “Let’s just get the whole ‘spirit of the game’ bit out of this. The umpires should keep a check on the incoming batter & declare them out if they don’t comply with the law.
“This mode of dismissal is unlike any other with the opposition players not involved in its occurrence. It’s purely in place for the players, batters in particular, to adhere to the TIME. The fielding sides maintaining slow over rates are penalised as well.”
Shikha Pandey